Who is Allah Ghazanfar? – All you need to know about Mumbai Indians' young spin sensation

A new star has come up from Afghanistan's rich spinning tradition. Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, the 18-year-old mystery spinner, has recently secured a lucrative INR 4.8 crore deal with Mumbai Indians during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction. 

Ghazanfar triggered a bidding war at the IPL auction when his name came up with five-time champions, MI securing his services at the end. With a base price of INR 75 lakh, the bidding saw Kolkata Knight Riders, his former team, engage in a battle with Royal Challengers Bengaluru initially, pushing the price beyond INR 2 crore.

MI's late entry into the bidding changed the dynamics completely. The final moments saw a tense back-and-forth between MI and KKR, with the bid climbing rapidly from INR 4 crore. Eventually, KKR backed out at INR 4.8 crore, allowing MI to add the Afghan talent to their roster. 

6'2 tall, Ghazanfar isn't just a typical spin bowler. His ability to extract bounce, along with his deceptive carrom ball, has drawn comparisons to stars like Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Ravichandran Ashwin. What sets him apart is his control and variations, especially impressive for someone so young.

After making his ODI debut against Ireland in March, Ghazanfar quickly grabbed all the eyeballs. His breakthrough moment came in a brilliant performance against Bangladesh in Sharjah earlier this month, where he recorded figures of 6/26, triggering a collapse that saw seven wickets fall for just 11 runs.

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MI had earlier tried to sign him as their net bowler

In the T20 format, Ghazanfar has bagged 29 wickets in 16 matches while maintaining an economy rate of 5.71. Ghazanfar's IPL career began as an injury replacement for Mujeeb Ur Rahman at KKR during their title-winning 2024 campaign.

Although he didn't get any matches to play, he has had a taste of the cash-rich league. His potential had been recognized earlier when MI showed interest in signing him as a net bowler, though visa issues prevented that opportunity.

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The young spinner's performances in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup have been nothing short of remarkable, where he claimed six wickets in four matches, playing a crucial role in Afghanistan's victory. His ODI record currently stands at 12 wickets from eight matches, with his best figures coming in that memorable spell against Bangladesh.